"There was always excitement in the air heading into the postseason. Everyone on my team would be especially anxious, nervous and fired up to play in the post season. We would work so hard all year long to get the opportunity to play in the tournament... so when that time came, we wanted to seize it," she says.

Kjellman and her Wildcats knew that the playoffs was the time to tighten up and elevate your game. Her freshman season was the only year Kjellman didn't bring home a national championship, falling to Virginia in the playoffs.

"This was when we knew we had to take the physical preparation at practice and the pre-game mental preparation to another level. Our focus on learning and executing new plays at practice, as well as elevating our offensive and defensive communication was critical."

As the women's postseason starts this weekend, it's important for players to elevate their mental game and study for what's surely going to be the biggest test of the year.

"Studying the opponents tendencies, strengths and weaknesses was expected. Getting ourselves mentally focused on the game-plan, the strategy and gathering our self-confidence was crucial," she says.

But that hard work can pay off.

"It's an incredible feeling that comes over you when you get to play on such a prominent stage with your best friends, in quest of a National Championship," she says.